Machine for making concrete pipe



April 19, 1949. L, F, PARKER 2,467,631

7 MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE PIPE v Filed Feb. 14, 1947 5 SheeCs-Sheet 1 IN V EN TOR.

April 19, 1949. PARKER 2,467,631

MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE PIPE Filed Feb. 14, 1947 v 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR. ME av April 19, 1949. PARKER 2,467,631

' MACHINE FOR MAKING CONCRETE PIPE Filed Feb. 14, 1947 s Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

BYPAQLJMW Patented Apr. 19, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

The object of the present invention is to provide a compact machine for simultaneously forming a plurality of lengths of concrete pipe, in such manner that whilst the finished pipe is being removed from the molds, as to two or more of the latter, the remainder may be in the proc ess of filling and forming operations. The ma chine is characterized by a provision of reciprocating and rotary forming heads, which act within the molds to compress the concrete mixture and to define the interior cavity of the pipe.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, showing an embodiment of the invention, the driving motor not being shown and the forming disks being raised to the position they will assume after an active operation with respect to two of the molds;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the position of the elements when the forming heads are at their lowermost positions;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view in elevation, partly broken away to show the forming heads and their driving mechanism preliminary to active strokes and rotation of the forming heads;

Fig. 4 is a schematic plan view partly broken away, showing the motor and drive belt, the shafts and drive gearing for the forming heads, and the gear housing, certain spacer rods being broken away on the line 4-4, Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on the line 5-5, Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a sectional elevation taken longitudinally of one of the molds showing one of the forming heads near the end of an active stroke and showing certain supporting elements for the molds; and

Fig. 7 is a top plan view of one the molds.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the completed concrete tube as produced by the apparatus;

Fig. 9 is a horizontal section through one of the molds centrally thereof and through one of the forming head shafts to illustrate the action of the latter on the concrete mixture which also is hown in section.

Referring to the drawings, the machine consists of a base I from which rises the tubular standard 2. Mounted for rotation on the standard is a mold table 3 which has an overlying member 3:12. The member 31: has, for clarity of illustration, been slightly raised in Figs. 2 and 3, but in practice this member will rest upon member 3. Its purpose is to provide a series of forming head receiving passageways at 4, Fig. 3, and like passageways 4a: are formed in the table 3.

On top of the table member 3a; at the rear and at the sides of each passageway 4 there may be provided registration abutment lugs 5 for the molds 6 and like lugs may be carried by a top plate 1 which may support a pan 8. The plate I and pan 8 will be provided with apertures for the upward passage therethrough of the formers 9, and the top plate and table 3 are held in spaced relationship by spacer rods ll.

Each mold consists of two semi-cylindrical halves 6 hinged at H and having handles l2. It is preferred that a latch I3 be pivoted to the shaft 14' of one of the handles, the latch having a notch at l3x, Fig. 7, to engage shaft I41: of the other handle. As indicated in Fig. 1 and also Fig. 2, the latch may have two spaced arms I3 connected by their own handle member I3xw. It is also preferred that the mold member 6 be for-med with internal horizontal channelways 6a: to provide ribs on the exterior of the formed pipe. The purpose is not pipe reinforcement alone, the primary function being to restrain the upward movement of the concrete pipe in the process of its formation by the upward and rotational force of the forming heads.

The table members, the molds carried thereby, with the cover plate I and pan 8 are rotatable upon standard 2 when the forming heads 9 are raised. The table support may be upon a collar 21: carried by the standard 2.

Above the pan 8, standard 2 carries a collar [4 which supports a gear box l5. Passing through this gear box are two shafts l6, each of which carries one of the forming heads 9. Except at a point always above the gear box each shaft I6 is provided with a long keyway I5x, and each shaft has keyed thereto, by means of said keyway and a key, a driven gear la in mesh with a drive gear IS, the latter being on a shaft 20 supported toward its lower end by a bearing boss 2| at the top of the gear box, thence rising through a boss 22 carried by a plate 23 and thence carrying a pulley 24 which receives a belt 25 leading to the drive pulley of a motor 26, Fig. 4. Plate 23 is tied to the gear box by spacer rods 21.

Each forming head shaft l6 passes through plate 23 and has a threaded upper area in the threaded wall of a fixed boss 23m carried by said plate 23. Therefore, as the motor and gearing rotate the two forming head shafts l6 they have endwise movements accordingly. The motor is of reversible type to ive downward and upward movements to the forming head shafts.

Plate 23 is connected by tie rods 28 with a plate 29 and the upper ends of shafts l5 carry a bar 30 which is slidably mounted on tie rods 28. Vertical cushioning rods 3| pass through plates 23 and 29. The spacer rods 28 and the cushioning rods 3| are provided with a series of springs for cushioning effect. Thus, when the shafts approach their lowermost position, plate 30 engages rings slidably mounted on the spacer rods 28 and above springs 33 so that in the continued downward movement of shaft 16 and the forming heads, the springs are compressed. Thus quick downward movements of the forming heads are cushioned. Toward the end of the final upward movement of shaft [6. plate 29 strikes springs 34 on the spacer rods 28 for cushioning effect. Plate 39 also strikes a fixed collar Size on the lefthand cushioning rod 3! and moves that rod upwardly to compress a spring 35. Also, at the end of the downward movement of the shaft I6 the plate 30 may engage a fixed collar 3 law on the righthand cushioning rod 3|, moving said cushioning rod downwardly in compression of a spring 35 thereon.

In the operation of the machine, shaft 16 may be rotated until the tops of the forming heads 9 are at the bottom or approximately the bottom of the two molds 6, the latter being closed and latched. A cement mixture with the minimum moisture required for bonding of its elements is then placed in each mold through the open upper end of the pan 8, as for example to the level indicated at I, Figure 3. The machine is then put in operation to cause the forming heads to rotate and rise upwardly. The forming heads are of specific design as shown more particularly in Figures 3 and 9. Each head is formed with a cam-like cavity having a pressing shoulder at 912. As shown in Figure 9, the cement C passes into the cavity and against the shoulder so that in the rapid rotation and upward movement of L formed pipe sections and two of the molds may receive fresh charges of cement. It will be understood that when a pipe forming operation has been concluded, the parts being in the position of Figure 1, the mold table may be rotated to bring two fresh charge molds into registration with the two forming heads. Means for automatically stopping the motor 26 when the forming heads reach their uppermost position may be provided, and with or without such means a hand control switch such as that indicated at 31 may be provided. It also will be understood that foot or hand registration means may be provided for the mold table so that when the same has been rotated it may be latched to exact operative position with respect to two freshly charged molds and the overlying forming heads 9.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the form and arrangement of the elements constitutin the embodiment herein illustrated, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, being as follows:

In a machine for making concrete pipe, consisting of a standard, a table support rotatable on the standard, a gear box above the said table support, a plurality of shafts extending through the gear box, forming heads on said shafts, gearing in said box adapted for rotating said shafts, guide rods arranged in parallelism with the shafts above the mold supporting table, a crosshead carried by the shafts and received on said guide rods, and cushionin means carried by said guide rods above and below said crosshead.

LAURIE F. PARKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 951,740 McCracken Mar. 8, 1910 998,637 Richmond et al. July 25, 1911 1,204,550 Drew Nov. 14, 1916 1,868,398 Skorkovsky July 19, 1932 1,906,566 Friedl May 2, 1933 

